Method of and apparatus for making celluloid tubes



. March 6, 1926. Y 1,661,451 J. N. WHITEHOUSE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CELLULOID TUBES Filed Dec. 4. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March s, 1928.

J. N. WHITEHOUSE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CELLULOID TUBES Filed Dec. 4. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 6, 192 8.

UNITED STATES JOHN N. WHITEHOUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CELLULOID TUBIB.

Application filed December 4. 1925. Serial No. 73,139.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for ntianufacturing celluloid tubes from sheet celluloid material.

1.11 the past, it has been proposed to form 6 tubes from celluloid by the process of extruding the material in a plastic state througl'i a suitable opening. This process is subject to severe limitations as to the patterns of color and desi n that can be provl duced in the finished tu c.

The object of the present invention is to produce tubes from sheet celluloid so that all the coloring and designs possible in sheet celluloid can be preserved in the resulting tube. The invention provides a machine by which sheet celluloid can be fabricated into integral tubes expeditiously and at low cost.

Other features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

\Vhile I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the machine for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that my invention may be practiced in various ways without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

In the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment has been shown by way of illustration,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine for carrying out the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fi 3 is a detailed view of the forming man rel and cooperating parts.

35 Fig. 4 is a detailedview of the separable bearing.

Fig. 5 is a view of one end of the mandrel.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section showing the sheet of celluloid being started upon the mandrel.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing the tube, nearing completion.

Referring more articularly tothe drawings, 6, 6' are stan ards mounted on base 5 and supporting a shaft 7 upon which table .8 is pivoted. A bracket 9, formed integral with one of the standards, carries shaft 10 on which latch 11 rotates. The latch engages the upper surface of the table and is pressed against either the table or stop 14 y a s ring 13. A handle 15 is mounted on the ta le at its pivoted end.

At the opposite end of the table the mandrel 16 is sup orted in bearings 17 and 18. The bearing 1 formed in bracket 33, is a closed bearing in which the hub 19 is retained by a nut 20. A sprocket 21 is formed on the periphery of hub 19, and a bore 22 is formed in the inner side of the hub, a pin 23 passing through the hub and intersecting the bore 22. i

The bearing 18 is split on the center line of the shaft, as indicated at 24, the upper half of the bearing being carried by an arm 25 pivoted at 26 to a bracket 27 which is bolted to the table. The mandrel 16 has one end cut away at 29 to fit into the socket 22. The opposite end of the mandrel is supported in bearing 18, and is held against longitudinal movement by a guard plate 30.

The upper half of bearing 18 carries a handle 28, and a springressed latch 31 c0- opcrating with a lug 32 ormed on the lower half of the bearing.

The brackets 27 and 33 are formed with downwardly extending L-shaped support members 34 and35. which carry stems 36 and 37 mounted for sliding movement. Springs 40 and 41 are mounted on the stems 36 and 37 between the supports and blocks 38 and 39 carried on the upper ends of the stems. Below the supports the stems are provided with beads 42 and 43. A roller 44 is journaled in blocks 38 and 39 with its periphery in contact with the mandrel 16.

A sprocket 45 is mounted on support 16 at one side of the table in alinement with sprocket 21. The sprockets are connected by a chain 48. and sprocket 45 carries a crank handle 47.

The base carries a tank large enough to receive the free end of the table together with its equipment. An inwardly swinging lid 51 is mounted on the tank by a. spring hinge 52, the end of the lid being beveled at 53 to prevent upward movement of the lid. By this arrangement the tank is kept closed at all times except when the solution is in actual use, thereby minimizing the evaporation of acetone.

' The operation of the machine is as follows:

Tank50 is filled with acetone or other solvent. as indicated at 57 in Fig. 2. A piece of paper 55 is secured around the mandrel. A sheet of celluloid 54 is placed on the table. its end being passed between the roller and mandrel and cemented to the paper. as shown at 56 in Fig. 6. The operator then relases latch 11, lowers'the free end of the table into the tank and rotates crank arm 47 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2.

As a result of this movement the mandrel is rotated thereby wrapping the sheet of celluloid about the mandrel, as shown in Fig. 7. The acetone, being a solvent for celluloid, softens the sheet, and the softened layers are tightly wound and pressed together under the action of the spring-pressed roller.

When the entire sheet has been wound upon the mandrel the table is raised and held in elevated position by the latch 11. Latch 31 is then disengaged from lug 32, allowing the upper half of the bearing to be swung upwardly by means of handle 28. Themandrel can then he slid longitudinally to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, and removed from the machine.

As soon as the celluloid has dried suiticiently the mandrel is driven from the tube by hammering upon its beveled end 58. The resulting product is an integral tube that retains all of the decorative properties of the original sheet of celluloid.

It will be apparent that this method can be used to produce tubing from any suitable material.

What I claim is 1. The method of forming tubing which comprises winding a sheet of material into a roll while immersed in a solvent bath.

2. The method of forming celluloid tubing which comprises winding a sheet of celluloid into a roll while immersed in a solvent bath.

3. The method of forming tubing which comprises wrapping a sheet of material about a mandrel while imniersed in a solvent bath.

4. The method of forming celluloid tubing which comprises wrapping a sheet of celluloid about a mandrel while immersed in a solvent bath.

5. The method of forming celluloid tubing which comprises wrapping a sheet of celluloid about a mandrel while immersed in a solvent bath, removing the mandrel with its celluloid coating from the bath, and then drivin the mandrel from the tube.

6. A mac ine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, a support carried by said base, a table pivoted on said support, a mandrel rotatably mounted on said table, and a tank placed in operative relation to said mandrel.

7. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, a table pivotally supported on said base, a mandrel rotatably mounted on said table, forming means mounted in spring-pressed relation to said mandrel, and a tank placed in operative relation to said mandrel.

8. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, a table pivotally supported on said base, a mandrel mounted on said table, means carried by said table for rotating said mandrel, and a forming roll spring-pressed toward said mandrel.

9. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, a table pivotally supported on said base, a mandrel mounted on said table, means carried by said table for rotating said mandrel, a forming roll springpressed toward said mandrel, and a tank placed in operative relation to said mandrel.

10. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, a table pivotally supported on said base, a mandrel removably mounted on said table, means carried by said table for rotating said mandrel, a forming roll spring-pressed toward said mandrel, and a tank placed in operative relation to said mandrel.

11. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, supports carried by said base, a table pivoted at one end on said supports, a latch normally holding said table in raised position, a mandrel removably mounted on the opposite end of said table, a forming roll sprin -pressed toward said mandrel, and a tan mounted below said mandrel.

12. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, supports carried by said base, a table pivoted at one end on said supports, a latch normally holding said table in raised position, a mandrel removably mounted on the free end of said table. means carried by said table for rotating said mandrel, a forming roll spring-pressed toward said mandrel, and a tank mounted below said mandrel.

13. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, supports carried by said base, a table pivoted at one end on said supports, a handle mounted on said table, a latch normally holding said table in raised position, a mandrel mounted on the free end of said table, means carried by said table for rotating said mandrel, a forming roll spring-pressed toward said mandrel, and a tank mounted below said mandrel.

14. A machine for forming celluloid tubes which comprises a base, supports carried by said base, a table pivoted at one end on said supports, a handle mounted on said table, a latch normally holding said table in raised position, a mandrel I'Cll'l()\':ll)l mounted on the free end of said table, m ans carried by said table for rotating said mandrel. a forming roll spring-pressed toward said mandrel, and a tank having a downwardly opening spring-closed lid mounted below said mandrel.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

JOHN N. WHITE'IIOUSE. 

